Eighth-placed Indian Arrows look to get back to winning ways and finish the I-League season on a high when the young colts face ninth-placed Gokulam Kerala FC at the Ambedkar Stadium in the national capital tomorrow.
Losing two back-to-back matches against table toppers Minerva Punjab FC by a slight margin tarnished the high flying start of the Arrows, but Head Coach Luis Norton de Matos feels that his team will go all out for a win.
Speaking on the eve of the match, Matos said, "We are certainly looking for a win against Gokulam Kerala FC. The I-League is very exciting for us. In the Hero I-League, the most important thing for us is to show our boys can play with senior players. With no foreigners and mostly 16-17-year-olds, even if we finish fifth or sixth it's a huge positive."
Sitting beside Matos, skipper Amarjit Singh stated that, "We are combining well, we have players from both the U-17 and U-19 teams and our styles and strategy were different. In the first three matches, we were trying to adapt to each other. Hopefully, we will play better as we go along."
"Minerva were quite consistent and they were quite physical, they were well organized and that's why they (Minerva Punjab FC) are the league leaders. We lost to the brilliance of Chencho but collectively our team held our own", Matos replied when asked about the back-to-back losses against Minerva Punjab FC.
With I-League action returning back to the capital, fans will get a chance to witness their Indian U-17 World Cup Squad heroes in the Indian Arrows. "It feels good to be back in Delhi and I hope the fans come to support us", Matos informed.
Although the tide has been against Gokulam Kerala FC - losing two of their three matches and drawing one - Head Coach Bino George and his team will look to turn momentum in the capital.
"Most of our players are inexperienced. Our aim is to finish inside the Top 4. Let's see what happens. Indian Arrows is quite a young team. I've seen their matches and they are quite fast. Although they are a bunch of teenagers we have to be cautious as they (Indian Arrows) are a very good team and I told my boys to not take them lightly", said Bino George.
"The folks back home know us and come in quite a few numbers. The supporters and fans are quite welcoming and warm. It feels good to be recognized," said Bilal Khan of Gokulam Kerala FC.
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